Cincinnati Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett follows through as he hits a grand slam to take the lead for the Reds in the bottom of the seventh inning of their MLB National League game against the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017.(Photo: Sam Greene)

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – There's no telling when or where lightning will strike. Though rare, it's not unheard of for it to land in the same spot twice.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett is hoping to catch that lightning in the barrel of his bat again in 2018.

Last season, Cincinnati witnessed the storm of Scooter. It was a breakout season. Actually, it was a historic season, one in which the 27-year-old accomplished feats that have never been done before in Major League Baseball.

He became the only player in major league history to produce five hits, four home runs and 10 RBI in the same game. He also became the only player in major league history to have a four home run game and four grand slams in the same season (the only other player in MLB history to accomplish that over a career is Lou Gehrig). Gennett hit .295 with 136 hits (22 doubles) and posted career-highs in runs scored (80), home runs (27), RBI (97) and slugging percentage (.531), and he did all that while committing just nine errors in 141 games.

But, last season is already buried in the big scorebook in the sky, so the question now becomes: What does Gennett do for an encore?

First, and perhaps most importantly, he believes and his mindset hasn't changed.

"I've always been pretty confident when it comes to what I think I'm capable of doing," said Gennett. "I think that the more you do what you feel like you're capable of doing the more that confidence becomes reality to where if it wasn't real then it would be more arrogant or cocky because it's not translating.

"It's nice to where you end up performing to where that confidence is real. It's there for a reason, and it always has been. I've never exceeded my expectations of myself even last year, but I've done things to where that confidence is there for a reason."

Confidence played a part last season, but it was also how Gennett approached the year mentally.

"I think more the other half of that is the mindset," he said. "I came into last year battling for a spot and trying to make it into the lineup any day that I could and I ended up doing good enough to where I got an everyday job and I took advantage of it.

"So this year, it's kind of the same mindset, but obviously, I know that chances are I'm gonna be the starting second baseman whether I go 0-for my next 20 or 20-for my next 20. But the mindset is similar in a sense of battling and making sure none of these young bucks come up and take my job.

"That's where my mindset's at, not: 'Well, I'm the starting second baseman and I'm just gonna try and play as good as I can.' That's reality but my mindset's still how it always was and that gets me up every day working hard and trying to continue to get better."

Baseball's always been a tricky game. Following a successful season can be confounding and perplexing.

“Historically the challenges have been to repeat and exceed what they did the year before. But I think there is a universal DNA that these guys are always trying to do better than they were the previous season," said Reds manager Bryan Price when asked about Gennett. "I don’t think it’s just about maintenance. I think they’re all striving to get better. He’s a highly motivated guy. He wants to be a great player. Pressure is self-induced. You do it to yourself. I think he found himself last year. We got the best version of him. He’s working to give us an even better season this year. I don’t think he lacks any confidence to do that.”

Gennett said: "It's not going anywhere when it comes to that confidence and preparation. The two run together. If you don't prepare that confidence might be there but it's fake. You know that you're not as prepared as you should be. If you're prepared and confident then it's real."